The Belarusian ruler has completely stopped being an independent player.

Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, a coordinator of the civil campaign European Belarus, spoke to camarade.biz about the signing of the Eurasian Economic Union treaty.

“I think it won't bring any good to Belarus,” he said. “The signing of the treaty will complicate economic relations with Ukraine, which is going to sign the economic part of the association agreement with the EU this year. Advantages are not so obvious, taking into account the declining competitive ability of Belarusian companies. In general, the treaty will make Belarus more dependent on the Kremlin, which lately began to successfully demand in a more merciless tone that Lukashenka should implement the agreements and 'union obligations'. It is in particular illustrated by the Lukashenka regime's hostile actions against Ukraine, I mean increasing Russia's military presence in Belarus and voting against the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the UN. By the way, Aliaksandr Lukashenka does not hide the signing [of the treaty] is a forced step. He usually presents his half-tourist trips to remote corners of the world as 'breakthroughs' in foreign policy. In this case, he called the signing 'a sort of a compromise'. In general, the signing of the European Economic Union Treaty demonstrates that Lukashenka has completely stopped being an independent player. He will receive more orders, and no one will care about his opinion.”